Nortje has been selected for the Markram-led South Africa T20 World Cup squad

Anrich Nortje will resume his international career after a nine-month absence at the 2024 T20 World Cup. Nortje, who has been participating in IPL 2024, has been selected for South Africa's 15-player squad, which will be led by Aiden Markram. Additionally, opening batter Ryan Rickelton and seamer Ottniel Baartman, both of whom have distinguished themselves at this year's SA20, have also been selected for the squad and may be eligible for their first T20I caps.

Rickelton was the leading run-scorer in the SA20 and the second-highest run-scorer at the recent CSA T20 Challenge. He is likely to partner Quinton de Kock at the top of the order.

The T20 World Cup may be de Kock's final international appearance. He retired from ODI cricket last year but was persuaded to remain in T20Is for this event. De Kock is no longer centrally contracted by CSA as he pursues opportunities in T20 leagues.

White-ball coach Rob Walter has confirmed that despite a recent run of poor form in his last three tournaments, de Kock has been selected based on his impressive historical performances:

 "Quinny, we've seen him do it time and time again for us. Reeza [Hendricks] has been a star performer for us in T20 cricket, was a standout in this domestic CSA T20 challenge again, and Ryan Rickelton has had two outstanding competitions really where he's played the brand of cricket that we're looking to play. And then we're going to have Aidan Markram and that'll be the top order. It's mostly a performance-based decision and from Quinton's point of view is just a real knowledge of what he's capable of."

The IPL has also provided Walter with the confidence to select Nortje, who has taken seven wickets in six matches for Delhi Capitals to date. He has conceded at 13.36 runs per over but has bowled at a fast pace.

Nortje's speeds have enabled him to be selected ahead of Lungi Ngidi, who missed the IPL due to a lower back injury, but returned during the CSA T20 Challenge and is one of two travelling reserves. The squad also includes left-arm seamer Nandre Burger, currently with Rajasthan Royals, as well as four frontline seamers in Nortje, Baartman, Kagiso Rabada, and Gerald Coetzee. Ngidi and Burger are the travelling reserves, while the squad also includes three spinners. Left-arm spinners Keshav Maharaj and Bjorn Fortuin are part of the squad, along with wrist spinner Tabraiz Shamsi. This left room for only one all-rounder, Marco Jansen, with Andile Phehlukwayo and Wiaan Mulder missing out.

The batting line-up will include a strong middle order of Markram, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller and Tristan Stubbs, with no batters among the reserves. Faf du Plessis, who was in line for an international comeback, has not been named. Similarly, Rassie van der Dussen and Matthew Breetzke – the leading run-scorer in the CSA T20 Challenge and third-highest in the SA20 – have both been overlooked.

Van der Dussen and Breetkze will, however, travel with a second-string South Africa side to play West Indies in three T20Is that precede the World Cup. However, the composition of this squad may change based on player availability from the IPL. The squad includes uncapped legspinner Nqaba Peter, who was the second-highest wicket-taker in the CSA T20 Challenge.

The other absentees from South Africa's last T20 World Cup squad, in 2022, are former captain Temba Bavuma, Rilee Rossouw, and Wayne Parnell. Bavuma, Parnell, and Ngidi's exclusions, in particular, have created a challenge for Walter because the squad is short on players of colour. The 15-man travelling group includes only six players of colour and one black African (Rabada), which will leave South Africa short of the targets at the tournament. The current target requires the national team to field an average of six players of colour of which at least two must be black African over the course of a season. Walter has the opportunity to make up for this shortfall in other matches, but he is aware that he could face criticism for reduced representation.

South Africa will commence their T20 World Cup campaign on 3 June against Sri Lanka in New York.

South Africa T20 World Cup squad:
Aiden Markram, Ottniel Baartman, Gerald Coetzee, Quinton de Kock, Bjorn Fortuin, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, David Miller, Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tabraiz Shamsi, Tristan Stubbs.

Travelling reserves:
Nandre Burger, Lungi Ngidi

South Africa T20I squad for series against West Indies:
Ottniel Baartman, Matthew Breetzke, Bjorn Fortuin, Reeza Hendricks, Patrick Kruger, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Nqaba Peter, Ryan Rickelton, Andile Phehlukwayo, Tabraiz Shamsi, Rassie van der Dussen